Pneumatic-despatch-tube apparatus.



PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

E. A. FORDYUE. PNEUMATIGDESPATGH TUBE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.24. 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMOND A. FORDYCE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LAMSON CONSOLIDATED STORE SERVICE OOMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PNEUMATIC-DESPATCH-TUBE APPARATUS- Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

Application filed March 24, 1905. Serial No. 251,770.

"To alt whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, EDMOND A. FORDYCE,

of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State.

of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic-Despatch-Tube Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My inventionrelates to improvements in pneumatic-de'spatch-tube apparatus; and its object is. to devise an apparatus on the vacuum principle which is economical and efiicient and through which air passes only when the apparatus is in use transmitting carriers elevation, partly in section, showing the posi-' tion of the parts upon the position of a carrier for transmission at a substation.

Like letters of reference refer tolike parts throughout the several views.

The transit-tube A for transmission of the carriers from the central station to a substation has a bell-mouth'opening, as shown, to

receive the carriers. Said tube leads to the upward discharge-terminal A, having a suitable valve A? closing the despatch-opening and of the usual construction in the art. Con.-.

nected to said terminal A is a tube B for returning'the carriers to the central station, and at its upper end said tube is rovided with a carrier-inlet opening, closed by the valve B of usual construction, and at the lower end 01 said tube B is a suitable valve B for closing same. Connected to the lower end of said tube B by a joint -B is a tube B, which is in communication with said tube B by suitable slots, as shown. The tube B is connected below the floor-line (indicated by the letter R) to the chamber C, in which is located the valve D, closing the upper end of the passage J, which is in communlcation, by means of the pipe K, with the suction-tank K.

This valve D is pivoted at D in'the chamber O and has a rolling contact at D with the piston-rod D of the piston E, working in the cylinder E. To the lower end of the cylinder E is connected the pipe F, which when the apparatus is not in use in transmitting carriers is closed at its outer end to the atmosphere by the lever G, pivoted on the support G and with its upper end removedfrom contact with the magnet G, as indicated in %iston E is in the lower part of and the valve D is closed. With theparts in the position shown in Fig. 1 the pump is exhausting from the passage J to the pipe K, through the tank K, and throuh the upper and lower openin s L and M',.w ich connect the cylinder E wit the" assage J and pi e K, and this suction througi i'sa'id o enings and piston E, and as the vacuum created in said suction of the pump is equal on both sides of the iston E said piston drops"?? gravity to the lower part of thecylinder as shown, which closes the valve D. From the ma et G extend the wires H H, through-n 'ch when they circuit is closed through said wires the batter H as hereinafter explained, willener ize t e magnet G and cause the opera; tion ereinafter described.

tral station to a substation through the terminal A, it is inserted into. the bell-mouth,

drawing the upper end of the lever G inward toward the. magnet and opening the end of the pipe F to the atmosphere, and air entering through the pipe F under the piston E will destroy the vacuum below the piston E and force it upwardly, as the vacuum is maintained through the opening L. This operation will cause the valve D to open, so that air is drawn from the atmosphere at the bellmouth through the s stem to thetank K,- and the carrier will tube A and discharged through the. valve A at the terminal A. Aftera carrierh'as passed Fig. 1, and in this condition of the parts the the cylinder M produces a vacuum on bot' sides ottho cylinder by the openings L and M under the When a carrier is to be sent from the cen-,

e drawn through the.

Fig. 2, and striking'the finger. P will cause its inner end to cover the contact points ofthe wires P P, which will close-the circuit, as. just described, and energize the magnet G, v

1 the finger P said finger will move from the po- I sition shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. as the outer end is Weighted to normally prevent the closing of the circuit, and as the circuit is broken the magnet l'aecon'ies den-nergized and the lower end of the lever G will close the pipe F to the atmosphere, and as the suction continues through the passages l,

and M the vacuum will become equal and the 1 piston IE will gradually lower, thereby closing the valve D when the vacuum through the system is cut oil and. exists only below the valve D. When a carrier is to be sent from a substation to the central station, it is inserted into the tube B by opening the valve B and moving downwardly will strike the outer end of the finger Q, which will raise the inner end of said linger and close the circuit through the wires ll ll, and the. operation is the same as above described for raising the valve D to allow suction through the system to transmit a-carrierwhicli opens the valve B and drops said carrier into a suitable receptacle, indicated at ll. After the carrier has passed the finger Q, its inner end being weighted, it will move from engagement with the contacts and assume the position shown in Fig. 2.

The passage through the opening M to the bottom of the cylinder E is controlled by the valve N, which may be adjusted and held in its adjusted position by the nuts N. long lines the 'alve N is so adjusted that the fall of the piston E would be slow, allowing for the discharge oi the carrier bel'orc the valve l) is closed and the. vacuum cut oil,

while in short lines the valve would be u ide open. so that the piston llwould dropquickly because the carrier has a short distance to travel.

llaving thus described the nature of my in vention and set l'orth a construction embodyf ing the same, what I claim as new, and de sire to secure by Letters Patent ol' the United States, is-

1 In an apparatus ol' the character described, a transit-tube through which carricrs a re transmitted, an air-valve controlling the passage ol' air through. said .tube and nor: mall, closed, an exhaust-tube, mechanism under the control ol said exhaust-tube for operating said valve, an electric circuit for controlling said nilchanism, and mechanism operated by the lllhtltlmi of a carrier into said tube to close said circuit for opening said air-valve and allowinga passageol'airthrough said tube l'or driving carriers.

2.. ln an apparatus of the character descrilmd, a transit-tubc through which carriers are transmitted, an air-valve controlling the passage of air through said tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube, mechanism under the control of said exhaust-tube which normally holds said air-valve closed, an electric circuit for controlling said mechanism, and mcchanism operated bythe insertion of For 5 a carrier into said tube to close'said circuit 1 for opening said air-valve to allow a passage o" air through said transit-tube. 3 in an apparatus .of the character del scribed, a t'rans1t-tube through which carl riers are transmitted, an air-valve controlling l the passage of air through said tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube, mechanism under the control of said exhaust tube for operating said valve, an electric circuit for controlling said mechanism, and mechanism operated by the carrier upon its insertion into the transit-tube to close said circuit for opening said air-valve, and allowing the closing of said air-valve after the insertion of the carrier.

t. in an apparatus of the character described, a transit-tube through which carriers are transmitted, an air-valve for conl mechanism under the control of said exhausttube which normally holds said air-valve closed, an electric circuit for controlling said mechanism, and means operated by the clos ing ol said circuit for admitting atmospheric pressure to said mechanism to open said airvalve upon the insertion of a carrier into said transit-tube to allow a passage of air through said transit-tube for the transmission of carricrsz in an apparatus of the character described, a transit-tube through which carriers are transmitted. an air-valve for controlling the passage of air through said transittube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube, mechanism under the control of said exhausttuhc which normally holds said air-valve closed, an electric circuit-for controlling said mechanism, means operated bythe closing of said circuit for admitting atmospheric pressure to said mechanism to open said air-valve upon the insertion of a carrier into said trensit-tube to allow a passage of air through said transit-tube for the transmission of carriers, and. n'lcans for regulating the closing of said air-valve.

6. in an apparatus of the character described, a transit-tube through which carriers are transmitted, an air-valve controlling the passage of air through said tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube, mechanism under the control of said exhaust-tube for l l l l an air-valvecontrolling the passage of air trolling the passage of air through said transit' tube and normally closed, an exhaust-t ube,

riers are transmitted in opposite directions,"

operating said valve, an electric circuit for through said transit tubes and normally closed, an exhaust-tube in communication sit-tube to allow a passage of air through said transit-tubes for the transmission of carriers. 8. In an apparatus of the character described, transit -tubes through which carriers aretransmittedin opposite directions, an air-valve controlling thepassage of air 'through said transit tubes and normally i closed, an exhaust-tube in communication With both of said transit-tubes, mechanism under the control of said exhaust-tube which normally holds said air --valve closed, an electric circuit for controlling said mechanism, and means operated by a carrier insert: ed into either of said transit-tubes to close said, circuit forv admitting atmospheric pressure to said mechanism to open said air-valve to allow a passage of air through said transittubes for the transmission of carriers.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, a transit-tube throu h which carriers are transmitted, an air-va ve controlling.

the passage of air through said tube and nor mally closed, an exhaust tube, an electric circuit, and mechanism under the control of said exhausttube for opening said valve upon the closing of said circuit and allowing the passage of air through said transit-tube for. the transmission of carriers.-

10. In 'an apparatus of the character described, a transittube throu h which carriers are transmitted, an air-Va ve controlling the assage of air through said tube and normal'y closed, an exhaust-tube, an electric circuit, and mechanism under the control of said exhaust-tube for automatically openin said valve upon the closing of said circuit an allowing the passage ofair through said transit-tube for the transmission of carriers.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, a transit-tube throu h which carriers are transmitted, an air-Va ve controlling the passage of air throughsaid tube and normally closed, 'an exhaust-tube, an electric circuit, and mechanism under the control of said exhaust-tube for automatically openin said valve upon the closing of said circuit and allowing the passage of air through said transit-tube for the transmission of carriers, and for automatically allowing said air-valve to move into its closed position after the insertion of the carrier.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, a transit-tube through which carriers are transmitted, an air-valve controlling the passage of air through said tube, an exhaust-tube in communication with said transit-tube and normally closed by said airvalve, mechanism under the control of said exhaust-tube and normally holding said airvalve closed, an electric circuit, and means for admitting atmospheric pressure to said mechanism upon the closing of said circuit to open said air-valve to allow the passage of air t rou h said transit-tube for the transmission 0 carriers.

13. In an ap aratus of the character described, a transit-tube throu h which car riers are transmitted, an air-valve controlling the passage of air through said tube, an exhaust-tube in communication with said transit-tube and normally closed by said airvalve, mechanism under the control of said exhaust-tube and normally holding said airvalve-closed, an electric circuit, and means operated upon the closing of said circuit for admitting atmospheric pressure to said mechanism to open said air-valve to allow the passage of air through said transit-tube for the transmission of carriers and adapted to cut off atmospheric pressure from said mechanism to allow said mechanism to close said airvalve.

14, In an apparatus of the character de scribed, a transit-tube throu h which car-- riers are transmitted, an air-Va ve controlling the passage of air through said tube, an exhaust-tube in communication with said transit-tube and normally closed by said airvalve, mechanism under the control of said exhaust-tube and normally holding said airvalve closed, an electric circuit, and means operated upon the closing of said circuit forv admitting atmospheric pressure to said mechanism to open said air-valve to allow the pas:

sage of air through said transit-tube for the transmission of carriers and adapted to cut off-atmospheric pressure from said mechanism to close said air-valve automatically.

15. In a pneumatic-tube system, the combination of a pneumatic tube, two or more stations thereon, a vacuum-pipe connected to said tube, an air-valve controlling said connection and normally closed, an electricall -'cgntrolled mechanism for opening said va ve, a circuit-wire for said mechanism, and means at each station for opening and closing said circuit and energizing or denergizing the valve-actuatin' magne In testimony w ereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 16th day of March, A. D. 1905. V EDMOND A. FORDYCE.

Witnesses:

A. L. MESSER, E. L. HARLOW 

